Muskrat Lake vs St. Clair Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Muskrat Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than St. Clair Lake (C, Fair). Both are in Becker County, Minnesota.
Muskrat Lake and St. Clair Lake are both in Minnesota — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two are within a letter of each other on the rubric — Muskrat Lake (B) versus St. Clair Lake (C). The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Muskrat Lake
Good clarity, visible to about 11.5 ft.
St. Clair Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Muskrat Lake | St. Clair Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | C (Fair) |
| Water Clarity | 11.5 ft | 4.6 ft |
| Phosphorus | 25.5 µg/L | 50 µg/L |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 59 acres | 45 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 1 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Muskrat Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus St. Clair Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 11.5 ft vs 4.6 ft. For fishing diversity, Muskrat Lake also leads with 1 species.